Countdown to Disney

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  • #22962

    connie96
    200 XP
    SUPPORTER

    Good info @grumpytude. I hardly ever buy on eBay but when I have, I’ve had good luck.

    #22963

    connie96
    200 XP
    SUPPORTER

    @connie96 well I talked to the hubby and he’s game. Woot woot!

    Yay! Happy shopping, Jamie!

    #22966

    you guys have problems with the quality? i’m hoping “used” pins aren’t all beat up!

    They are counterfeit pins…
    It is a serious problem on ebay, as in multi-million $ problem. And part of the reason I do not trade as much as I once did. I got tired of buying legit pins and getting fakes in return.

    Seller ratings only show if someone is happy with a transaction… People who do not know better/do not care, are sufficiently happy if they get a good price, the item arrives on time, and appears real-enough to trade. So the seller receives a good rating.

    I beg all of my pals here to please, please stop purchasing from these sellers.

    #22971

    Jloosh78
    236 XP
    SUPPORTER

    I do all my shopping on Ebay and Amazon. I haven’t bought any pins really since the 90’s when it wasn’t cool yet. Maybe 1 here or there but most of mine are all over 20 years old.

    #22989

    Grumpytude
    499 XP

    I have only ever purchased a few pins, I would guess 20 that my kids have thought were cool. The Park prices on them are crazy. @RIDisneyPinGuy could you share how to tell a fake from a real pin? Thanks :mickey:

    #22991

    connie96
    200 XP
    SUPPORTER

    I have only ever purchased a few pins, I would guess 20 that my kids have thought were cool. The Park prices on them are crazy. @ridisneypinguy could you share how to tell a fake from a real pin? Thanks :mickey:

    Yes, please @ridisneypinguy, do tell us how to spot a fake. I will check the ones that I have and won’t trade the fakes if I know the difference. Thank you!


    #22996

    jamiedawn27
    499 XP
    SUPPORTER

    yeah this is the description:
    “Each Pin Is 100% Tradable At Any Of The Disney Parks.
    All The Pins Have The Official Disney Stamp & Markings On The Back
    Each Pin Will Come In Its Own Individual Bag To Protect It During Shipping
    All Pins Have The Black Rubber Mickey Ear Post Protector.”

    honestly how can i know based on this? I wouldn’t know by looking at a pin outside of the mickey protector and the Disney stamp on the back. help?!?

    #23073

    Pretty simple. If it is too cheap to be true, it probably is. If someone was trying to sell any item at 90% less than what the actual retail is, and doing on a scale of thousands of units… it should be a giant red flag, for any item. No different than handbags, sunglasses, or any other item that is counterfeited and sold at a ridiculously cheap price. Anyone can tell you something is real, doesn’t mean that it is. Cast members are a) instructed to not cause an issue with the guests, b) do not really have time to inspect pins, and c) lack knowledge on identifying fakes…Would you not question the authenticity of a brand-new Coach handbag being sold at $25 when it should be $250? So how are the pins different? The difference here is kinda an ignorance is bliss and a “I’m only trading it away” thought process.

    Differences between real and fake (or “scrappers”) include: color variation, rough edges, uneven paint, incorrect backstamp, incorrect back color, incorrect back pattern, wrong size, wrong number of “nubs” by the pin post… just to name a few. And the manufacturers are getting better at making the counterfeit items.

    Even knowing what to look for, after getting home I’m stuck throwing away a handful pins each trip, because closer inspection reveals they are not real. Then I am out the legit pins I had traded away. It has really sapped the fun out of an activity I once loved.

    There are resources on the net to investigate more, for those who wish to learn. Just google “disney pin scrappers” or “how to spot fake disney pins” or visit http://www.pinpics.com

    #23074

    The best advice I can give is to try to purchase from Disney outlet stores, reputable brick& mortar stores selling pins individually, or from pin trading communities. The last thing hardcore pin traders want is to be known for selling/trading scrap. So they are hyper-vigelent about what they sell or trade, and if one slips through the cracks, will often make good on the item.

    Realistic prices for previously traded legit pins, are $4-8ea for common (or “rack”) pins, $2-5ea for booster set pins, and $5+ for limited edition pins

    Hope the info helps! :ears:

    #23075

    Grumpytude
    499 XP

    Thanks @ridisneypinguy for all the information and resources. I appreciate your time. I never thought of them as something that would be faked like an expensive handbag. I know I’ll be looking around the house for some of the boys tonight to take a look. Thanks again :ears:

    #23078

    connie96
    200 XP
    SUPPORTER

    I will check some of our pins tonight, too. Thanks for the info @ridisneypinguy!

    #23080

    Happy to! That is part of the trading community is to educate people about pins… The good, bad, and indifferent.

    Here is the thing with why it is so popular, they are small, cheap, and easy. Floats under the radar. Takes big operations to amount to enough money to make it worth pursuing, and even then… hard to prove. Many times they use the same exact molds that produced the real pins! A mold that is either past the usable life or slightly incorrect “grows legs” and finds its way to another plant, where it is copied and used to make the fakes. Which partially explains why some of the defects are what they are.

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